Bread Machine (5 page)

FLOUR

Grains are milled into a powder called flour. This is the foundation of all of the bread we make. Milling is a complex process we take for granted when we buy our 5-pound sacks of flour. Professionals in the flour industry evaluate each crop of grain for protein levels, gluten strength, water absorption, and mixing tolerances. Flours are carefully blended by each mill to give you consistently good bread from scratch.

Wheat makes the flour most commonly used for breads because of its high absorption ability. There are various types and qualities of wheat, and many different flours are milled from it. Bread machine loaves work best with bread flour. Bread flour can also be labeled “high gluten flour” or “best for bread.” Bread machine bakers usually have a favorite brand, sometimes labeled “For the Bread Machine” on the package. These blends have a high gluten content that develops well with machine mixing. All bread flour makes a tall, springy loaf. You can also use all-purpose flour in the bread machine if you add enough vital wheat gluten to boost its protein content. All-purpose flour with gluten added can be used in place of bread flour in any recipe in this book. Some recipes here do call for standard all-purpose flour because they are baked outside the machine.

As you grow familiar with your machine, you can use combinations of wheat germ, cracked wheat, rolled grains, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and other flours to create loaves in an infinite variety of flavors, textures, and muted earth tones. Every flour absorbs a different amount of moisture and does so at a different rate. Remember that the more non-wheat flour you use in proportion to wheat, the denser the loaf and the slower the rising time. Also, remember that proper measurements make a good loaf. If you don’t add enough flour, no matter what the type, you will have a collapsed loaf (collapsing from the top or in from the sides) that is often uncooked in the center. If you add too much flour, you will have a dough that strains during the kneading process and bakes into a hard, dense, heavy ball.

VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN

Although vital wheat gluten is not a core ingredient when making bread by hand (the gluten contained in the flour is enough to produce a high loaf when mixing and kneading by hand), I single out gluten here as a main ingredient for bread machine baking because all my testing has shown that it yields a better loaf when added to the dry ingredients. Gluten is called for in most of the recipes in this book. It helps make loaves rise higher and gives them more volume. Vital wheat gluten—also known as just plain gluten—is made by washing the starch from the endosperm in wheat, leaving pure plant protein that is dried, ground, and marketed as a powdered extract. It is
not
a flour. Gluten becomes stretchy during mixing and kneading, and is a premium dough conditioner because it helps trap the rising CO
₂
in its strong meshwork, making a puffier loaf. If you are experimenting with your own recipes, I recommend using 1 to 2 teaspoons of gluten per cup of white bread flour and 1
¹
/
₂
to 3 teaspoons gluten per cup of whole grain flour for an exquisite texture. Sometimes I add double that if I have a stiff all—whole wheat dough or am using a recipe calling for a non-gluten flour. If you add gluten to one of your existing bread recipes, note that doughs containing gluten can absorb a tablespoon or two more of liquid.

Store gluten in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one year, but if you use gluten regularly, it can be kept in the cupboard for up to two months.

Please note: If you encounter vital wheat gluten
flour
, this is a different product than vital wheat gluten, which is much more concentrated. Do not confuse these two items.

YEAST

Yeast is a microscopic plant. The word “yeast” comes from the French word
levant
, meaning “to rise.” In France, the same word is applied to the eastern part of the world and to the rising sun. Perhaps this interesting etymology has something to do with the fact that there has always been a degree of mystery and discovery in observing yeast activate and multiply.

Yeast is sold to the consumer in five different forms: active dry yeast, compressed fresh cake yeast, fast-acting or instant dried yeast, bread machine yeast, and quick-rise yeast. (Nutritional yeasts, such as brewer’s and torula, are not leavening agents.) Fast-acting yeast and bread machine yeast both work well in the bread machine; quick-rise yeast can also be used.

The most readily available fast-acting or instant yeast comes from the S.I. Lasaffre Company (a French company operating in Belgium and elsewhere), which has been producing commercial yeast since Louis Pasteur figured out how to isolate and cultivate single strains. This yeast, labeled “SAF Perfect Rise” or “SAF Instant” yeast, is very popular among bread machine bakers. My testers and I nicknamed it the “industrial strength yeast” for its incredible and reliable rising power. Composed of a different strain of yeast than our domestic brands, SAF yeast is dried to a very low percentage of moisture and coated with ascorbic acid and a form of sugar, enabling it to activate immediately on contact with warm liquid. This type of yeast needs no initial dissolving in liquid, which makes it perfect for the bread machine. It has free-flowing rod-shaped granules that were developed with easy measuring in mind. SAF yeast contains three times as many yeast cells per volume as other granular yeasts, so the amount used in a recipe should be cut back by about 25 percent from the amount of yeast called for. (You will see that this is taken into account in the recipes in this book.) SAF yeast comes in a two-pack strip or in a resealable 3-ounce bag. The yeast should be stored in the freezer (for up to one year), as the outer coating of dried yeast cells is sensitive to oxidation.

Other brands of instant or fast-acting-style yeast that work well in the bread machine include Fermipan Instant Yeast, a yeast that is well known and loved by Italian-style bakers. This yeast is known for producing great focaccia, old-world-style breads, and hard rolls. Fleischmann’s Yeast now offers an ascorbic-acid-coated instant domestic yeast, and Red Star has entered the instant yeast market with Red Star Instant Active Dry Yeast, which has a smaller granule size than traditional active dry yeast so that it will perform like SAF. These three yeasts are not yet as widely distributed as SAF.

Bread machine yeast was developed, as its name would suggest, with bread machine baking in mind. Both Fleischmann’s and Red Star also produce bread machine yeast, a finely granulated yeast that is coated with a layer of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and a flour buffer. It, too, is able to be mixed into a dough along with the dry ingredients, requiring no previous activation in a warm liquid. Bread machine yeast is not as sensitive to temperature as regular active dry yeast; it can grow and multiply at lower temperatures in the machine’s bread pan. Bread machine yeast is sold in 4-ounce jars, and is readily available at supermarkets.

Quick-rise yeast was developed in 1984 in response to the large amount of home baking done using powerful electric mixers. Both Red Star and Fleischmann’s (patented as RapidRise) have quick-rise yeasts on the market. Quick-rise yeast is another strain of very fine, low-moisture yeast that is able to be activated in a dough without first being rehydrated in a warm liquid. It raises dough about twice as fast as regular yeast. This strain is fed with phosphorus to increase enzyme activity, and RapidRise yeast is coated with emulsifiers and antioxidants that boost activity. You can use quick-rise yeast in place of bread machine yeast for the recipes in this book. Replace the given quantity of SAF yeast with the quick-rise yeast.

Whatever type of yeast you are using, always check the expiration date stamped on the package. Fresh yeast works best, and outdated yeast may not work at all. If you question whether a yeast is viable, test it by filling a measuring cup with 1 cup of lukewarm water. Sprinkle in 1 table spoon of the yeast in question and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Mix the three together and, if the yeast is active, it will bubble immediately. If it does nothing, or if there are only a few bubbles, the yeast is dead and should be discarded.

SALT

Salt is very important in bread not only as a flavor enhancer, but in controlling the rate of yeast fermentation. In the presence of salt, the dough rises at a slower rate and the salt strengthens the gluten. Loaves with no salt collapse easily. The addition of salt results in a good crumb, better keeping qualities, and more flavor. When using the Delay Timer, avoid having the salt come in contact with the yeast, which would slow its action; in these cases add the salt with the liquid. When you are going to mix and make the bread immediately, it really doesn’t matter what ingredients come in contact with what others, and I actually prefer to add the salt close to the end, near the yeast, as I think it gets distributed better that way.

LIQUID

To make bread, you must have some type of liquid to moisten the flour, activate the gluten, and begin the action of the yeast. Liquid transforms the ingredients into a pliable dough ball that will bake into a loaf of bread. Pure water, milk, buttermilk, fruit juice, yogurt, sour cream, beer, or coffee all work, but each gives a different crumb. Nonfat dry milk powder and dry buttermilk powder can be used in conjunction with water to replace their fresh counterparts. Some bakers don’t like the flavor of the dried milk powders and always use fresh milk, but for bread machine baking using a delayed cycle, the use of powdered milk eliminates concern over spoilage. Sometimes you will see the addition of baking soda when acidic liquids like buttermilk and sour cream are called for; the baking soda neutralizes the acid.
If you have a Welbilt machine, please note that it usually requires an additional 2 tablespoons of liquid in every recipe; you will need to add these 2 tablespoons to the quantity of liquid in the recipes in this book
.

Bread Machine Baker’s Hint: Measuring Your Ingredients

The bread machine, unlike traditional bread recipes that deal in approximates, must have accurately measured ingredients or else the recipes will not work properly or taste balanced. The baking pan has a limited capacity, so ingredients must also be measured precisely to keep them from spilling over onto the heating element. This is extremely important for producing good loaves from the machine. For dry ingredients, use the nested set of plastic or metal cups and use only for dry measuring. Use the old “dip and sweep” method of dipping the cup or spoon into the dry ingredients (do not pack unless it is called for, as in packed brown sugar), such as sugar and flour, and using the back of a knife or spoon handle to scrape across the flat rim.

Dry and wet measuring cups are not interchangeable. For wet ingredients, like honey and all liquids, use a 1- or 2-cup clear glass measuring cup with a pour spout and with increments clearly marked. Set the cup on the counter for it to level itself, and look at the increment lines at eye level; then pour the contents into the machine without spilling them. I don’t use the metric measuring gadgets that sometimes come with machines; they are hard to decipher. Just throw them away (or use them in the laundry room).

FAT

Fat is a dirty word in today’s food world, but in reality it is an essential element of a healthy diet when consumed in moderation. Generally it is not the type of fat you use, but the proportions, that matter in baking bread. Fat adds lots of flavor, pliability, and tenderness to a loaf of bread, and helps keep it from staling within a few hours. Use unsalted butter (which has an unparalleled flavor), margarine, lard (which is, surprisingly, more flavorful and less saturated than butter), or various olive, vegetable, or nut oils. Add butter by cutting it into pieces and putting it in with the other ingredients; it will mix right in during the kneading. Fats will be included with the liquids in the recipes in this book.

SWEETENING

Sugar provides food for the developing yeast and helps retain moisture in the finished baked loaf. It also enhances flavor, texture, and crust color. Use granulated sugar, superfine sugar, raw sugar, Demerara sugar, light or dark brown sugar, or thick syrups like maple syrup, molasses, corn syrup, barley malt syrup, and honey. You will be adding a bit more liquid if you are using a syrup instead of a granulated sugar.